I had a lot of feedback last week from my WFMW post about making your own cloth sanitary pads! I want to follow up on a couple of things, but if you haven't read that post, you should probably do it now!

A few commenters and emailers asked if this was really any cheaper, because you're using all that hot water to wash them.

Think about it this way. You know when you're doing a load of wash and you're about to turn it on when your 6-year-old comes running with another pair of underwear? Do you turn to him and say, I'm sorry, that won't fit in the machine today? Of course not, because underwear don't take up any space. You just throw them in and that's fine.

That's what it's like with the cloth pads, too. You never do a load of wash for just them. You throw them in with whatever you're already washing, so they really take up no extra water or detergent at all. They're not big enough to make a difference.

Where you do use water is when you soak the pads, but that's not a lot of water, and so it doesn't really add up. The other thing--and I know this will have major EWWWW factor, too--is that you can dilute that soaking water and use it as an awesome fertilizer for your outdoor plants, especially this time of year. So it doesn't even go to waste! And it saves you money!

So it's not really a lot of work, and it uses no extra energy.

Now, a commenter made a very interesting plug for the Diva cup. Any of you know what it is? I am intimately connected with it.

Basically it is a plastic cup like thing that you use internally, sort of like a tampon, but it collects the *AHEM* fluid and then you remove it and empty it. I has no leaks, because you sort of form a suction around it, and you can leave it in for about 24 hours without changing it. Many women absolutely swear by them. They cost around $30 and they'll do you for the rest of your life. You'll never need anything else.

When I was investigating solutions for the African orphanage we go to I looked at Diva cups. Very intriguing. And I thought I should try them out.

But that's when I learned something. I am not exactly totally comfortable messing around inside, if you get my drift. I could get the thing in, but to get it out, you have reach in, grasp the bottom, and push the sides together to remove the suction before you pull it out.

But mine migrated. It's supposed to sit low, not high like a tampon, and there's no string. And I couldn't find it. I panicked.

My husband is a doctor and it was then that I had to have him do what no husband should have to do. He had to come home and take it out for me. It was terrible, to say the least.

So I decided they wouldn't work on a large scale for Africa. Some girl would get it stuck up there and would be too embarrassed to tell anybody. So we went for the cloth pads instead. And so have I.

But if you don't share my squeamishness, and if you're interested in giving it a try, go for it!

May your suction be easy to break, and may your migration be limited.

Otherwise, I'll be posting the patterns for the cloth sanitary pads soon. Take care!

Did you arrive here for WFMW? Stay a bit and look around! It's Wifey Wednesday, too, so it's time for some great marriage advice!

Too funny. I personally don't have an issue fishing for things. I had to get over that when I was younger and thought I lost a tampon up there. I searched and searched to no avail, or so I thought. When I pulled out the next one two popped out. Don't ask me how I lost it or where it went to, I have given up. In the decade plus since, I haven't lost another one. I am seriously considering the Diva cup, but would look at the cloth pads as a stand-by. I hate spending so much every month for sanitary stuff.

I have been using a Diva cup for about three months and love it. The first time I used it, it got "lost" and I started panicking but then relaxed, watched tv for 30 minutes and then tried again. It was back down by then. Everyone is different but I only have a problem first thing in the morning, or when I am stressed.

I love seeing someone talk about the DC... i've used it for almost 3 years and absolutely love it. After about 6-12 months I noticed a distinct change in my - um - flow and I don't have the thick clots like I used to. I love cloth pads as well... just have a hard time finding them really super thin. I cloth diapered 2 babies as well. BTW - I found your site by linking from your name I think on Big Mama.

About Me: I'm a Christian author of a bunch of books, and a frequent speaker to women's groups and marriage conferences. Best of all, I love homeschooling my daughters, Rebecca and Katie. And I love to knit. Preferably simultaneously.